To consider report on tax reform bills today
The Senate was steeped in grief yesterday as lawmakers observed a minute of silence for victims of two recent tragedies that shook the country: the killing of 16 hunters in Uromi, Edo State, and the crushing to death of Easter worshippers in Gombe State.
Amid growing concerns over the rising wave of violence, banditry and terrorism across the country, the Senate unanimously adopted a motion calling for the urgent convening of a National Security Summit.
Also, the red will, today, begin the consideration and possible passage of the Tax Reform Bills.
The Uromi victims, all from the North and returning to Kano State, were mistaken for bandits by local security operatives.
In what senators described as a “gruesome and regrettable case of mistaken identity,” the hunters were reportedly ambushed and executed without verification.
Barely a month later, another tragedy unfolded in Gombe State, where a truck rammed into a peaceful Easter procession of Christian worshippers, killing at least six people. Early police reports suggest the act might have been deliberate, a chilling development that sparked public outrage and demands for justice.
Deeply moved by the double tragedy and ongoing violence in states like Benue and Plateau, the Senate condemned the killings in strong terms and called for immediate compensation for the victims’ families.
“We must not normalise this level of carnage,” a visibly emotional senator said during plenary. “These were innocent lives hunted down in error and in hatred.”
In response to the worsening security situation nationwide, the Senate also resolved to convene a two-day National Security Summit in Abuja. Though past summits under previous assemblies yielded little impact, the Senate insists this gathering will draw up actionable strategies, with the involvement of top security officials, state governors, and traditional rulers.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South), who proposed the motion, warned that criminals now understand military language and tactics, making it urgent for Nigeria to rethink its security architecture.
While a few lawmakers, including Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Adamu Aliero, cautioned against repeating past efforts with no results, the Senate overwhelmingly agreed that the time to act is now.
SENATE President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the red chamber’s readiness for the bills during plenary following the resumption from its Sallah and Easter break.
The report on the four bills were, yesterday, laid before the Senate by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).
Akpabio urged the committee to distribute copies of the report to all senators to enable them study it and make informed contributions during the consideration.
Meanwhile, the Senate President has charged lawmakers to renew their commitment to tackling worsening insecurity and growing economic hardship in the country.
In his welcome address on resumption of plenary, he urged fellow lawmakers to approach their duties with integrity, unity, and a sense of urgency as Nigerians grapple with deepening hunger and insecurity.
